John stephen manuel willcox



(NoModeL) 4 J. S. M. WILOOX.

EIEE ESGAEE. v No. 289,050. I Patented Nov. 27, 1883.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

- ATTORNEYS.

UNITED SrATn-S Jenn srnrnnn MANUEDWILLOQX, onwHI'r'BY, ONTARIO, cannon.

Fl RE ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,050, dated November 27, 1883. Application filed July 31, 1883. (No model.) Patented in Canada September 15, 1863, No. 17,673.

' To all whom it. may concern:

Be it known that I, J one S. M. WILLcoX, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Whitby, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,whieh will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my iniproved fire-escape, and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the same on line as m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre spending parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to fire'escapes; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a cylindrical wooden block, an oblique or inclined aperture, A A, being pierced through the said block, near each of its ends. The rope B, which is provided with a hook, B, or other suitable means of attachment upon its upper end, to adapt it to be secured to the top or side casing of a window, is passed through the upper inclined aperture, A, in the cylindrical block A, and is then coiled spirally upon the said block, which is made perfectly smooth, the lower or free end of the rope being then passed through the lower inclined aperture, A".

0 indicates a horizontal aperture extending through the lower end of the block A, through which passes a belt, I), the endsof which are provided with suitable fastenings, the said belt serving as a support for the person using the escape. Upon the lower part of the block A, just above the lower inclined aperture, A, is fastened a piece or strip of leather, E, having in its lower end an aperture, E, through which the rope B passes, the upper end of the aperture E being protracted or extended'to form a slit or wedge-shaped opening, E, for the purpose hereinafter specified.

In using my improved fire-escape the hook upon the upper'end of the rope Bis secured to the top of the window from which the descent is to be made, with the cylindrical block bled to exert any desired amount of pressure upon the rope, and thereby regulate the rapidity of his descent, the leather guard E pre venting his hand from being cut by the rope B. When' the operator desires to come to a dead stop, by grasping hold of the rope below the leather guard E, and pulling the rope upward, the rope being wedged into the slit or wedge-shaped opening E", will. bring the block A to a dead stop. By constructing the surface of the block perfectly smooth the rope may be coiled around it any desired number of times, according to the weight of the per son using the escape, and the consequent degree of tension required. By catching hold of the lower end of the rope, a person upon the ground below can lower a female or child who would be incapable of lowering herself, as by pulling upon the lower end of the rope to increase or lessen the tension the block A can be caused to descend with any desired degree of rapidity.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of myimproved fire-escape will readily be understood without requiring further explanation. It will be seen that my improved fire-escape is simple in construction, and that it can be conveniently packed in a valise to transport it from place to place, while, being devoid of all cog-wheels or other complicated mechanism, it is not liable to break or get out of order.

I am aware that fire-escapes have been heretofore constructed consisting of a cylindrical block provided with inclined apertures at its upper and lower ends, through which the escape-rope passes, and having its outer surface made perfectly smooth, to admit of the said rope being coiled around it any desired numher of times, according to the weight of the operator.

I am also aware that fire-escapes have been heretofore constructed provided with frictionguards or hand-guards, as shown in the patent to J. P. Curry, No. 264,404, bearing date of September 12, 1882. I do not therefore claim, broadly, a cylindrical block provided with inclined apertures, and having its outer surface made perfectly smooth. Neither do I claim, broadly, a friction-guard or handguard for use in a fire-escape of this class; but

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a fire-escape of the described class, the combination of a cylindrical block provided 

